Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is in response to the Applicants' communication filed on 2/19/2024. In virtue of this communication, claims 21-40 are currently presented in the instant application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 21-40 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) based upon a public use or sale or other public availability of the invention as being anticipated by US Patent Application Publication 20230370820 (hereinafter referred to as Cheng).
Consider claim 21, Cheng teaches a method, comprising:
sending, by a first sensing network element, a sensing control request message to a second sensing network element, wherein the sensing control request message requests the second sensing network element to perform a sensing operation (see at least ¶ [0177], “…SMAS 720 may transmit or otherwise provide … a sensing service request. At 732, SnMF 715 may transmit or otherwise provide the sensing service request to UE 705 via base station 710. Broadly, the sensing service request may initiate RF sensing applications….”, and further see at least ¶ [0276], “…the UE may receive, from a base station, a sensing configuration associated with a sensing mode, the sensing configuration indicating one or more parameter values that the UE is to use to perform sensing of objects within a detectable range of the UE, and the sensing configurating further indicating a format for providing a sensing report according to the sensing mode…”);
receiving, by the first sensing network element, first sensing data from the second sensing network element (see at least ¶ [0178], “…UE 705 may perform UE assisted sensing where UE 705 transmits the sensing waveforms and performs the sensing measurements to identify the RF signal metrics…” and further see at least ¶ [0277], “…the UE may receive one or more sensing waveforms based on the sensing configuration. …the operations of 2010 may be performed by a sensing measurement manager as described with reference to FIGS. 8 through 11…”); and
providing, by the first sensing network element, a first sensing service based on the first sensing data (see at least ¶ [0178], “…UE 705 transmits … the sensing report indicating the sensing measurements. That is, the sensing report may indicate the RF signal metrics. … SMAS 720 may use the RF signal metrics to identify or otherwise determine the properties associated with the object…” and further see at least ¶ [0278], “…the UE may transmit, to the base station according to the sensing mode, a sensing report indicating information associated with the one or more sensing waveforms…”).
Consider claim 28, Cheng teaches a method, comprising:
receiving, by a second sensing network element, a sensing control request message from a first sensing network element, wherein the sensing control request message requests the second sensing network element to perform a sensing operation (see at least ¶ [0177], “…SMAS 720 may transmit or otherwise provide … a sensing service request. At 732, SnMF 715 may transmit or otherwise provide the sensing service request to UE 705 via base station 710. Broadly, the sensing service request may initiate RF sensing applications….”, and further see at least ¶ [0276], “…the UE may receive, from a base station, a sensing configuration associated with a sensing mode, the sensing configuration indicating one or more parameter values that the UE is to use to perform sensing of objects within a detectable range of the UE, and the sensing configurating further indicating a format for providing a sensing report according to the sensing mode…”);
performing, by the second sensing network element, the sensing operation based on the sensing control request message, to obtain first sensing data (see at least ¶ [0178], “…UE 705 may perform UE assisted sensing where UE 705 transmits the sensing waveforms and performs the sensing measurements to identify the RF signal metrics…” and further see at least ¶ [0277], “…the UE may receive one or more sensing waveforms based on the sensing configuration. …the operations of 2010 may be performed by a sensing measurement manager as described with reference to FIGS. 8 through 11…”); and
sending, by the second sensing network element, the first sensing data to the first sensing network element (see at least ¶ [0178], “…UE 705 transmits … the sensing report indicating the sensing measurements. That is, the sensing report may indicate the RF signal metrics. … SMAS 720 may use the RF signal metrics to identify or otherwise determine the properties associated with the object…” and further see at least ¶ [0278], “…the UE may transmit, to the base station according to the sensing mode, a sensing report indicating information associated with the one or more sensing waveforms…”).
Consider claim 33, Cheng teaches a communication apparatus (see at least ¶ [0267], “…device 1905…”), comprising:
a transceiver (see at least ¶ [0267], “…transceiver…”);
at least one processor (see at least ¶ [0267], “…processor …”); and
one or more memories coupled to the at least one processor and storing programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor to cause the communication apparatus to perform operations (see at least ¶ [0272], “…The memory 1930 may include RAM and ROM. The memory 1930 may store computer-readable, computer-executable code 1940 including instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to perform various functions…”) including:
sending a sensing control request message to a second sensing network element, wherein the sensing control request message requests the second sensing network element to perform a sensing operation (see at least ¶ [0177], “…SMAS 720 may transmit or otherwise provide … a sensing service request. At 732, SnMF 715 may transmit or otherwise provide the sensing service request to UE 705 via base station 710. Broadly, the sensing service request may initiate RF sensing applications….”, and further see at least ¶ [0276], “…the UE may receive, from a base station, a sensing configuration associated with a sensing mode, the sensing configuration indicating one or more parameter values that the UE is to use to perform sensing of objects within a detectable range of the UE, and the sensing configurating further indicating a format for providing a sensing report according to the sensing mode…”);
receiving first sensing data from the second sensing network element (see at least ¶ [0178], “…UE 705 may perform UE assisted sensing where UE 705 transmits the sensing waveforms and performs the sensing measurements to identify the RF signal metrics…” and further see at least ¶ [0277], “…the UE may receive one or more sensing waveforms based on the sensing configuration. …the operations of 2010 may be performed by a sensing measurement manager as described with reference to FIGS. 8 through 11…”); and
providing a first sensing service based on the first sensing data (see at least ¶ [0178], “…UE 705 transmits … the sensing report indicating the sensing measurements. That is, the sensing report may indicate the RF signal metrics. … SMAS 720 may use the RF signal metrics to identify or otherwise determine the properties associated with the object…” and further see at least ¶ [0278], “…the UE may transmit, to the base station according to the sensing mode, a sensing report indicating information associated with the one or more sensing waveforms…”).
Consider claim 40, Cheng teaches a communication apparatus (see at least ¶ [0208], “…device 1105…”), comprising:
a transceiver (see at least ¶ [0208], “…transceiver…”);
at least one processor (see at least ¶ [0208], “…processor…”); and
one or more memories coupled to the at least one processor and storing programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor to cause the communication apparatus to perform operations (see at least ¶ [0213], “…The memory 1130 may store computer-readable, computer-executable code 1135 including instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to perform various functions…”) including:
receiving a sensing control request message from a first sensing network element, wherein the sensing control request message requests the communication apparatus to perform a sensing operation (see at least ¶ [0177], “…SMAS 720 may transmit or otherwise provide … a sensing service request. At 732, SnMF 715 may transmit or otherwise provide the sensing service request to UE 705 via base station 710. Broadly, the sensing service request may initiate RF sensing applications….”, and further see at least ¶ [0276], “…the UE may receive, from a base station, a sensing configuration associated with a sensing mode, the sensing configuration indicating one or more parameter values that the UE is to use to perform sensing of objects within a detectable range of the UE, and the sensing configurating further indicating a format for providing a sensing report according to the sensing mode…”);
performing the sensing operation based on the sensing control request message, to obtain first sensing data (see at least ¶ [0178], “…UE 705 may perform UE assisted sensing where UE 705 transmits the sensing waveforms and performs the sensing measurements to identify the RF signal metrics…” and further see at least ¶ [0277], “…the UE may receive one or more sensing waveforms based on the sensing configuration. …the operations of 2010 may be performed by a sensing measurement manager as described with reference to FIGS. 8 through 11…”); and
sending the first sensing data to the first sensing network element (see at least ¶ [0178], “…UE 705 transmits … the sensing report indicating the sensing measurements. That is, the sensing report may indicate the RF signal metrics. … SMAS 720 may use the RF signal metrics to identify or otherwise determine the properties associated with the object…” and further see at least ¶ [0278], “…the UE may transmit, to the base station according to the sensing mode, a sensing report indicating information associated with the one or more sensing waveforms…”).
Consider claim 22 (depends on at least claim 21), Cheng discloses the limitations of claim 21 as applied to claim rejection 21 above and further discloses:
Cheng teaches wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, by the first sensing network element, a request message from a first network element, wherein the request message requests the first sensing service (see at least ¶ [0177], “…SMAS 720 may transmit or otherwise provide … a sensing service request. At 732, SnMF 715 may transmit or otherwise provide the sensing service request to UE 705 via base station 710. Broadly, the sensing service request may initiate RF sensing applications….”, and further see at least ¶ [0276], “…the UE may receive, from a base station, a sensing configuration associated with a sensing mode, the sensing configuration indicating one or more parameter values that the UE is to use to perform sensing of objects within a detectable range of the UE, and the sensing configurating further indicating a format for providing a sensing report according to the sensing mode…”), and the first network element is a core network element (see at least ¶ [0276], “…SMAS 720…”), an external application server, or a terminal device (see at least ¶ [0176], “…UE 705…”); and
the providing, by the first sensing network element, the first sensing service based on the first sensing data comprises:
sending, by the first sensing network element (see at least ¶ [0177], “…SMAS 720 may transmit or otherwise provide … a sensing service request….”), second sensing data of the first sensing service to the first network element based on the first sensing data (see at least ¶ [0177], “…SnMF 715 may transmit or otherwise provide the sensing service request to UE 705 via base station 710. Broadly, the sensing service request may initiate RF sensing applications…” and see at least ¶ [0178], “…UE 705 transmits or otherwise provides … the sensing report indicating the sensing measurements…”).
Consider claim 23 (depends on at least claim 21), Cheng discloses the limitations of claim 21 as applied to claim rejection 21 above and further discloses:
Cheng teaches wherein the request message carries a service type of the first sensing service (see at least ¶ [0135], “…The sensing service request may indicate a specific type of sensing to be performed (e.g., identify the object(s) to be sensed, sensing configuration/mode to be utilized for the RF sensing applications, and the like) and/or may indicate a more generic request for RF sensing applications to be performed …”).
Consider claim 24 (depends on at least claim 21), Cheng discloses the limitations of claim 21 as applied to claim rejection 21 above and further discloses:
Cheng teaches wherein the sensing control request message comprises sensing control information (see at least ¶ [0177], “…SMAS 720 may … a sensing service request. …, the sensing service request may initiate RF sensing applications…”), and the second sensing network element performs the sensing operation in accordance with the sensing control information (see at least ¶ [0178], “…UE 705 may perform UE assisted sensing where UE 705 transmits the sensing waveforms and performs the sensing measurements to identify the RF signal metrics…”).
Consider claim 25 (depends on at least claim 21), Cheng discloses the limitations of claim 21 as applied to claim rejection 21 above and further discloses:
Cheng teaches wherein the sensing control information comprises: a region sensing indication; or the region sensing indication and a second sensing region (see at least ¶ [0166], “…a request for any information that may be helpful when performing sensing measurements and/or sensing computations. For example, the request for assistance information may include a request for any known information regarding objects within a particular area, a request for any known information regarding specific objects (e.g., any location information, known RF signal metrics associated with sensed object(s), any known object property information…”).
Consider claim 26 (depends on at least claim 21), Cheng discloses the limitations of claim 21 as applied to claim rejection 21 above and further discloses:
Cheng teaches wherein the sensing control information comprises: a user equipment (UE) sensing indication and a second sensing UE identifier; the UE sensing indication and UE location information; or the UE sensing indication, the second sensing UE identifier, and the UE location information (see at least ¶ [0103], “…the sensing configuration indicating one or more parameter values that the UE is to use to perform sensing of objects within a detectable range of the UE 115, and the sensing configuration further indicating a format for providing a sensing report…” and see at least ¶ [0107], “…sensing applications include, but are not limited to, health monitoring (e.g., heartbeat detection/tracking, respiration rate monitoring, etc.), contextual information acquisition (e.g., location detection/tracking, direction finding, range tracking …”).
Consider claim 27 (depends on at least claim 21), Cheng discloses the limitations of claim 21 as applied to claim rejection 21 above and further discloses:
Cheng teaches wherein the sensing control information comprises: a continuous tracking indication; the continuous tracking indication and a second sensing UE identifier; the continuous tracking indication and location information of a target object; or the continuous tracking indication and a second sensing region (see at least ¶ [0103], “…the sensing configuration indicating one or more parameter values that the UE is to use to perform sensing of objects within a detectable range of the UE 115, and the sensing configuration further indicating a format for providing a sensing report…” and see at least ¶ [0107], “…sensing applications include, but are not limited to, health monitoring (e.g., heartbeat detection/tracking, respiration rate monitoring, etc.), contextual information acquisition (e.g., location detection/tracking, direction finding, range tracking …”).
Consider claim 29 (depends on at least claim 28), Cheng discloses the limitations of claim 28 as applied to claim rejection 28 above and further discloses:
Cheng teaches wherein the sensing control request message comprises sensing control information, and the second sensing network element performs the sensing operation in accordance with the sensing control information (see at least ¶ [0178], “…UE 705 may perform UE assisted sensing where UE 705 transmits the sensing waveforms and performs the sensing measurements to identify the RF signal metrics…”).
Consider claim 30 (depends on at least claim 28), Cheng discloses the limitations of claim 28 as applied to claim rejection 28 above and further discloses:
Cheng teaches wherein the sensing control information comprises one or more of: a second sensing distance, a second sensing region, a second sensing speed range, a second sensing distance resolution, second sensing angle measurement precision, a second sensing speed resolution, a second sensing quality of service (QOS) requirement, a second sensing location point, a second sensing user equipment (UE) identifier, second sensing time information, second sensing object identification accuracy, a false alarm rate of second sensing object identification, second sensing data precision, a second sensing data update frequency, a second sensing dimension indication, a sensing detection periodicity, or a second sensing feedback manner (see at least ¶ [0111], “…The RF signal metrics associated with an object may be utilized, processed, etc., to determine various properties of the object (e.g., object property information). For example, such properties may include, but are not limited to, the location of the object, the size of the object, the shape of the object, the characteristics of the object, movement of the object, speed of the object, direction of travel of the object, and the like. …, movement of at least a portion of the object, orientation of the object, changes with respect to some portion(s) or all of the object, and the like…”).
Consider claim 31 (depends on at least claim 28), Cheng discloses the limitations of claim 28 as applied to claim rejection 28 above and further discloses:
Cheng teaches wherein the sensing control information comprises: a region sensing indication; or the region sensing indication and a second sensing region (see at least ¶ [0166], “…a request for any information that may be helpful when performing sensing measurements and/or sensing computations. For example, the request for assistance information may include a request for any known information regarding objects within a particular area, a request for any known information regarding specific objects (e.g., any location information, known RF signal metrics associated with sensed object(s), any known object property information…”).
Consider claim 32 (depends on at least claim 28), Cheng discloses the limitations of claim 28 as applied to claim rejection 28 above and further discloses:
Cheng teaches wherein the sensing control information comprises: a UE sensing indication and a second sensing UE identifier; the UE sensing indication and UE location information; or the UE sensing indication, the second sensing UE identifier, and the UE location information (see at least ¶ [0103], “…the sensing configuration indicating one or more parameter values that the UE is to use to perform sensing of objects within a detectable range of the UE 115, and the sensing configuration further indicating a format for providing a sensing report…” and see at least ¶ [0107], “…sensing applications include, but are not limited to, health monitoring (e.g., heartbeat detection/tracking, respiration rate monitoring, etc.), contextual information acquisition (e.g., location detection/tracking, direction finding, range tracking …”).
Consider claim 34 (depends on at least claim 33), Cheng discloses the limitations of claim 33 as applied to claim rejection 33 above and further discloses:
Cheng teaches the operations further comprising:
receiving a request message from a first network element, wherein the request message requests the first sensing service (see at least ¶ [0177], “…SMAS 720 may transmit or otherwise provide … a sensing service request. At 732, SnMF 715 may transmit or otherwise provide the sensing service request to UE 705 via base station 710. Broadly, the sensing service request may initiate RF sensing applications….”, and further see at least ¶ [0276], “…the UE may receive, from a base station, a sensing configuration associated with a sensing mode, the sensing configuration indicating one or more parameter values that the UE is to use to perform sensing of objects within a detectable range of the UE, and the sensing configurating further indicating a format for providing a sensing report according to the sensing mode…”), and the first network element is a core network element, an external application server (see at least ¶ [0276], “…SMAS 720…”), or a terminal device (see at least ¶ [0176], “…UE 705…”); and
the providing the first sensing service based on the first sensing data comprises: sending second sensing data of the first sensing service to the first network element based on the first sensing data (see at least ¶ [0177], “…SnMF 715 may transmit or otherwise provide the sensing service request to UE 705 via base station 710. Broadly, the sensing service request may initiate RF sensing applications…” and see at least ¶ [0178], “…UE 705 transmits or otherwise provides … the sensing report indicating the sensing measurements…”).
Consider claim 35 (depends on at least claim 33), Cheng discloses the limitations of claim 33 as applied to claim rejection 33 above and further discloses:
Cheng teaches wherein the request message carries a service type of the first sensing service (see at least ¶ [0135], “…The sensing service request may indicate a specific type of sensing to be performed (e.g., identify the object(s) to be sensed, sensing configuration/mode to be utilized for the RF sensing applications, and the like) and/or may indicate a more generic request for RF sensing applications to be performed …”).
Consider claim 36 (depends on at least claim 33), Cheng discloses the limitations of claim 33 as applied to claim rejection 33 above and further discloses:
Cheng teaches wherein the sensing control request message comprises sensing control information (see at least ¶ [0177], “…SMAS 720 may … a sensing service request. …, the sensing service request may initiate RF sensing applications…”), and the second sensing network element performs the sensing operation in accordance with the sensing control information (see at least ¶ [0178], “…UE 705 may perform UE assisted sensing where UE 705 transmits the sensing waveforms and performs the sensing measurements to identify the RF signal metrics…”).
Consider claim 37 (depends on at least claim 33), Cheng discloses the limitations of claim 33 as applied to claim rejection 33 above and further discloses:
Cheng teaches wherein the sensing control information comprises: a region sensing indication; or the region sensing indication and a second sensing region (see at least ¶ [0166], “…a request for any information that may be helpful when performing sensing measurements and/or sensing computations. For example, the request for assistance information may include a request for any known information regarding objects within a particular area, a request for any known information regarding specific objects (e.g., any location information, known RF signal metrics associated with sensed object(s), any known object property information…”).
Consider claim 38 (depends on at least claim 33), Cheng discloses the limitations of claim 33 as applied to claim rejection 33 above and further discloses:
Cheng teaches wherein the sensing control information comprises: a user equipment (UE) sensing indication and a second sensing UE identifier; the UE sensing indication and UE location information; or the UE sensing indication, the second sensing UE identifier, and the UE location information (see at least ¶ [0103], “…the sensing configuration indicating one or more parameter values that the UE is to use to perform sensing of objects within a detectable range of the UE 115, and the sensing configuration further indicating a format for providing a sensing report…” and see at least ¶ [0107], “…sensing applications include, but are not limited to, health monitoring (e.g., heartbeat detection/tracking, respiration rate monitoring, etc.), contextual information acquisition (e.g., location detection/tracking, direction finding, range tracking …”).
Consider claim 39 (depends on at least claim 33), Cheng discloses the limitations of claim 33 as applied to claim rejection 33 above and further discloses:
Cheng teaches wherein the sensing control information comprises: a continuous tracking indication; the continuous tracking indication and a second sensing UE identifier; the continuous tracking indication and location information of a target object; or the continuous tracking indication and a second sensing region (see at least ¶ [0103], “…the sensing configuration indicating one or more parameter values that the UE is to use to perform sensing of objects within a detectable range of the UE 115, and the sensing configuration further indicating a format for providing a sensing report…” and see at least ¶ [0107], “…sensing applications include, but are not limited to, health monitoring (e.g., heartbeat detection/tracking, respiration rate monitoring, etc.), contextual information acquisition (e.g., location detection/tracking, direction finding, range tracking …”).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHUONG A NGO whose telephone number is (571)270-7264. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday from 5:30AM-3:30PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anthony S Addy can be reached at (571) 272-7795. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHUONG A NGO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2645